About 200 residents are affected by the water line that broke in San Juan Bautista on Monday morning, and the city manager expects to have those customers back online by about 3 p.m.
The break happened Monday morning at Washington and Lang streets, affecting about 50 homes, City Manager Michaele LaForge said.
The city had to do several markings, such as Pacific Gas & Electric lines, and a dig alert before proceeding with the repairs this morning. Crews were out breaking the asphalt surface to pinpoint the line break before 11:30 a.m., she said.
“They were doing that before I left about 45 minutes ago, LaForge said shortly before noon. “They were going to order a tractor because their tractor conked out on us.”
She said crews will do what’s called a “hot repair” to avoid contamination, and she expected the line to be fixed within three hours. The city had to shut off water for the nearby residents, while it’s not an overly populated area of town.
As for a cause, LaForge believes it’s some kind of earth movement over time and not any sort of “acute” event.
“We think it’s some sort of natural earth movement or just over the years things moving around and finally giving,” she said.
According to the city’s online announcement:
Public Works is actively working on a water line break approximately 300 feet from the intersection of Washington & Lang streets. Water to the area has been shut off. Public Works is going door to door contacting residents in the area. The Fire Department is assessing the water supply in the area to ensure protection. Utility companies have been contacted to mark their lines before digging begins.
